Automobile signaling device.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

` Patented J an. l16, 1917.

Application led December 27, i915. Serial No. 68,931.

I To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, LA UnnNoE J. KIL'LIAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State' of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful 'improvement in Automobile Signaliingr Devices, of. which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to signaling devices applicable to and used upon automobiles, auto-trucks, motor cars and similar vehicles; and particularly to such class of said devices es are intended to give notice to those in the rear of' the intended movements, as turning to the right or the left, of such leading vehicles, or instantly ,stopping It is the -usual custom of the driverof Such vehicles to indicate his in tended movements by throwing outhis hand to the right or the left, or by depending upon some other person in his vehicle doing so. The drivers attention to guiding the car often prevents him from making this signal,` or it muy he made very imperfectly, orat night imperfectly seen, and when passengers are depended upon to make such signals they muy he wrongly or carelessly made or neglected altogether; whereby much confusion and misunderstanding ocoui-sto the drivers of following cars and. not infrequently serious accidents and loss of life are the results.

Therefore, my objects are: to render the operating-of motor vehicles safe by means of a mechanical signal, positively operated by the touch of an electric button, showin inA an unn'iistaliableV manner the iritede movements of the leading car, by daylight, andto provide that the said signal .shall be illuminated by night, whereby it may be as readily seen as when shown in the daytime. I accomplish these very desirable'objects by means of the devices hereinafter describe and shownvin the accompanying drawings in which when -tlvie signal is not'in use: Fig. 2 is a 'similar 'view showing the Signal in use; Fig. 8 is. a vhorizontal section on the line :t m, Fig. 2;- Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line z c, Fig. 1; Fig. 5 .is a vertical section one lon gitudinal line, of a modiiicaton of my delvice; Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection on the fj "15116 tlilisy Eig. 5; Fig. ls a front eleyation modillication;` Fig. 48 isa. frontelevation ofthe operating disk; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 10 is a front elevation showing the electric connections to the operating-push buttons on the dashboard. Similer connecting wires may pro oecd from controlling pnsh buttons in the footJ board, or the steering wheell Similar reference letters refer to similar parts in the ,several views.

My invention eonsistsiessentially in pio riding animtation of a humax hand constructed of translucent or tran parent material and illuminated by an electric lamp when the car is operated at night. This is accomplished by means of a small lamp located in the flattened tube representing the forearm. Two methods of operating this signaling hand are here giyen, the first a downward swing of the han'd and forearm, as from the elbow joint, followed by an outward thrust. The second method is to thrust the handv and forearm out horizontally. In the first method two separate devices are necessary, one on the right. and one on the left of the car. In the second method the two devices are combined, one arm and hand slidingout to the right and one to the left. These devices may be placed' upo the dashboard, upon the beck of the driiilrs seat, or on tlie rear of the car, as maybe most desir-abi o r convenient. Electric irrent for-o erating and illuminatir the s* naling han may be readily convey,T fro ,E whatever .source of electric power-the cer iv equipped with by concealed wires. y

'This construction 'of-,my device-is as followsi R-eferrin to Fig. l, the swinging arm A, iS Slidab' y iiivotedto the-'shaft c, within the fiat sheet metal cese B, inclosed @malignas getipt @than he .ii-theres# er end of said arm isli'xe the 'transhic'entV and f), which is illuminated by the electric lemp` C. Upon the shaft a., is fixed the toot e mfont D, which meshes into-the` toot lil.,iixed to the arm A. Tothe sltnftY it, ed a thinv steel ribbon F, (soc Fig. 2 Y dowerend is attached tothc- ,lever ltt'ythe case B, (see Fig. 3,) l" and forms an ermsiture V acted upon by the ma et H. A spiral spring J, has'its inner ,en fined to the` Shaft a, and its outer end to j fixed in the The magnet of electhe case B. Akte, is a. stop Xin lower extension of lille arm H, ,is operated, fitoin whatever source trie current, (the, car is equipped with and controlled by push buttons hereinafter described, through the, Wires li, c', which also furnish current for the lump C.

The operation of my device is es follows; Electric current hnving been sent through the wires h, z', the magnet H, is energized` und draws to it the lever G, and at the seme time li hts the lamp C. Acting through. the steel ri bon F, the arm A, is brought down ton horizontal position. vulve, the toothed segment ll, moves the arm A, horizontnll y carrying the hund Z) out to its fullest extent and showing it. fully illuminated und easily seen, the effect being heightened by its swinging movement and Still further by its outward thrust. The proper warning signal having been given the electric current is out ofi' and the spiral spring .'l, noting; upon the shaft a, first draws thi` hand A, bnclc to its limit, the projection d, strikes the stop pin c, and the :mn A, is brought back to its originel position ns shown in Fig. 1.

rThe modifica-tion of my device is shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 und 9, and its construction is nsfollows: Within n metal cese K, are thes'liding bars N, M, to the outer ends of which are fined the translucent hands b, b, illuminated by the electric lamps C, C, es shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The arms L, L ere much shorter -thnn the arms A, A, and have no racks E, slot for the shaft a, or stop .pin e. Journnled in the case K, are the shafts o., a, upon which are xed the disks 0, (1), upon the periphery of' which nre fixed the steel ribbons f, f, which have their opposite ends fixed to the sliding bers N, M, nenr their outer ends. Similarly fixed to the shafts/i, a, nre the steel ribbons g, g, whose opposite ends ure fixed to the levers G, (i, which nire pivoted at their opposite ends to the metallic ense K.. Upon thc levers G, G are the armatures for the magnets HNI-, by the :lotion of which these 'levers are moved. Fixed to the shafts a, e, are the inside ends of the spiral springs J, J, While their` outer ends are fixed to themetellic case K. A helical spring j; has each endfixed to one of the arms L, L, by ineens of which eit er arm which has been-.extended beyond theease K, ns shown by dotted lines'mey be returned to its place. The electric connections nre the seme es those described for the form4 of my device illustrated inFigs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The oy eration of this form ofmy device is as fo'l ows: It being desiredto'make the signal to the right or left, ns thej case may be, the proper pusln,

Continuing to re button is pressed, the electric current is sent through the magnet ndnpted to -this movenient, the lever (l, is drawn' to the magnet, the shaft a, :ind disk (l, rotnted by the steel ribbon g, und the ribbon f, di'nws forward thc slidingbnr M, or N, :is the ense may be, moving oui the translucent illuminated hand (l, to the position shown `by dotted lines. The signal having been mode the electric Vrurrcnt is cut off und the helical spring y', draws the extended hund buck to its originel position.

Having described the construction and operation of my devices und pointed out wherein they nrc i'irzufticnl and ldesirable improvements over existing; methods and plnititc l clnim:

l. ln :i signaling' dci-icc for motor driven vehicles. the combination of :in imitation of n hmmm foi-enrol and trnnsluccnt hand adopted to lswingllownwnrd und slide outward, n toothed ruck fixed to seid forearm, n. toothed segment engaging seid ruck, electric menus for rotating seid segment und for illuminatingV said hund, and u. retrnotile spring, constructed und operating substantinlly ns and for the purposes described.

Q. In a signaling device for motor driven vehicles, the combinationV of nn imitation of n human forearm and transparenthand adapted to slide horizontally, electric means for illuminatingr seid hand nnd operating seid forearm consisting of n magnet, n lever armature, e. slinft, n steel ribbon connecting scid lever armature find seid shaft, e disk fixed to said sl'mi't and means for connecting said disk und. snid forearm .find hund, all constructed n nd operating;` substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

l. ln n, signsl'n-,nr device for motor driven vehicles, the combination of nn erm pivotally und slidnbly mounted, nshnft upon which seid arm .is mounted, n toothed'segment fixed to .seid sliait,` n toothed rack fixed to said erm :md meshing with Suid segment, a magnet, o pivoted lever armature connected to seid shaft by a steel ribbon, a source of electric current, a. spiral spring adapted to restore to their originel positions the'nforesnid parts after they have been Vmoved by the electric current operating upon said magnet, substantially in the manner and for the purposes-described.

LAURENCE J. K'ILLIAN.

Witnesses:

C. M.V Currency,- JoHN M. BENTING. 

